History

History

"History is for human self-knowledge ... the only clue to what man can do is what man has done. The value of history, then, is that it teaches us what man has done and thus what man is."  - R.G. Collingwood

Intent

History fires children's curiosity about the past; the world in which they are living and how it has been shaped by the people and events before them. As they study History, children will develop a chronological framework for their knowledge of significant events and people; what previous societies were like; and how their beliefs and values influenced their lives. They will see the diversity of the human experience and come to understand more about themselves as individuals and as part of a wider society.

The vision of our History curriculum is to afford the children the opportunity to question, debate and reflect upon matters that have occurred and to build on knowledge acquired in order to evaluate how past events have shaped the present. Different perspectives and viewpoints are essential. Such understanding promotes questioning in other areas of the curriculum and in life.

Through work in History, we aim to:

• Stimulate children's natural sense of inquisitiveness and enquiry.
• Create responsible, active citizens who contribute positively to society.
• Encourage children to develop an interest in the past, so that they will come to realise the importance of the past in the construction of a modern society.
• Give the children access to wide variety of primary and secondary sources.
• Provide children with as much experience as possible of historical artefacts and sites in order to learn to interpret and evaluate evidence.
• Relate History to other subject areas, and in doing so, foster a wider perspective about why things occur.

Implementation

History instils a sense of awe and wonder in our pupils. Our lessons delve into links between different periods to ensure understanding of themes, trends and events that can be connected over time. By focusing on key elements of a civilization/topic, our pupils can explore the past with a multi-faceted awareness and an evolving independence.

Enriching experiences promote a passion for History. Workshops, trips to historical sites and museums enable us to foster a love of learning and an appreciation for the wider world. Pupils are equipped with the skills to develop opinions, theories and ideas and to have the confidence to challenge both themselves and each other. Pupils gain a wider perspective of events which have shaped our world and how their impact resonates today. 

From Year 3 to Year 6, our History curriculum has been designed to integrate with various subjects through the reading of sources, extended writing relating to significant events, using mathematics to sequence a timeline and nurturing a love of art and computing through drawing, researching and depicting events. We are all a part of History and we all have a significant part to play. It is through this ethos of inclusivity that History is delivered.  

Impact

We use a number of ways to measure and assess the impact of our intent and implementation to refine and adapt planning. This monitoring cycle ensures our lessons are meeting the challenges and needs of our pupils in an engaging manner.  

• Termly monitoring cycles of books by subject lead ensure that the Assessment Policy is followed consistently across all year groups. 
• Yearly observations by subject lead monitor how key questioning, challenge mindset and our Formative Assessment Policy are adhered to. 
• Pupils complete summative tests at the beginning and end of each topic which are created by our staff and are therefore tailored to encapsulate the content and themes of the curriculum. These tests give objective measures of progress and enable some diagnostic analysis. 
• Our most effective way of ensuring the deliverance of a challenging and quality History curriculum is through yearly pupil interviews. These conversations give valuable insight into how our pupils create ‘golden threads’ of knowledge across their topics and present examples of topics/lessons that have piqued their curiosity and why.
• Yearly Teacher Voice surveys ensure the highest quality of teaching within our school as staff can openly suggest ideas to content in order to propel our curriculum to even greater heights.  

Impact Presentation

This presentation shows the standards and progress of pupils from Y3 to Y6 via our identified 'Golden Thread' of Significant Figures throughout History.